SWEDEN :
The
capital STOCKHOLM
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden with a
population of 1,704,930 (2005).. Administratively, the "City of
Stockholm" is a Swedish municipality within Stockholm County. It is,
without doubt, one of the most beautiful national capitals in the world.
The Old Town is particularly spectacular. Spread across little islands
and laced with numerous waterways on the southeastern coast of Sweden,
Stockholm enjoys one of the most stunning locales of any capital city in
the world. Over 30% of the city area is made up of waterways and another
30% is made up of parks and green spaces, giving Stockholm perhaps the
freshest air and widest lungs of any European capital
Stockholm is generally referred to as Beauty on Water, or Venice of the
North which is understandable, as the city is built upon 14 islands. It
is surrounded by Lake Mälaren, and by the Baltic Sea. The mixture of old
and new, greenery and water, picturesque narrow streets and engaging
modern broad ones provides an attractiveness you rarely meet elsewhere.
By steamboat you can take trips out into the archipelago, or go in the
other direction to Lake Mälaren with its characteristic and amazing
nature.
The city grew up around the Old Town, as Stockholm emerged as a key
trading centre, with influence all over the Baltic Sea region and
further afield. Today, Stockholm is a thriving modern European city that
dispels all of the anachronistic images about dull Scandinavians.
In the late 20th century, Stockholm became a modern,
technologically-advanced and ethnically diverse city. Throughtout the
century, many industries shifted away from work-intensive activities
into more high-technology and service-industry knowledge-based areas.
The city continued to expand and new district were created, for example
Rinkeby, Tensta, and Sollentuna, some with high proportions of
immigrants.This lovely, lively city, with its maritime bent and
international flavour, is a magnet for immigrants as well as tourists.
Over 15% of greater Stockholm's population are immigrants.
